Papa Eckie
by Marymel
Summary: Ecklie spends some time with Jackson and thinks about how far his parents have come.


**Jackson is my original character, but that's all I own.**

**Dedicated to Tedi-Ruxe! Thanks for suggesting a story with Jackson and Ecklie!**

**I love how Morgan's relationship with her father has evolved over the last couple of years, but I especially love how Conrad Ecklie has evolved has well. And I wondered why there weren't really any stories with Ecklie and Greg. So...I thought it would be cool to write a story where Jackson and Ecklie get together and just talk. Hopefully, it's not too corny. Anyway, here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy and pretty pretty please review!**

Conrad Ecklie had just finished a pile of paperwork regarding a recent case the crime lab had worked and sighed as he glanced at the pile of papers he'd just finished. Since becoming sheriff, he'd had more paperwork do deal with, but he couldn't complain. He had come so far with the crime lab - and especially with his daughter, Morgan Brody. He glanced at a photo on his desk of the two of them together and smiled. He couldn't be prouder of his daughter, and he couldn't be happier to have another chance with her.

Smiling softly, he took off his reading glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he looked up, he saw Morgan's adopted son Jackson getting comfortable in the chair across from his desk. His smile grew wider as he watched the little boy that completed his daughter's young family.

"Whatcha doin'?" Jackson asked as he sat down.

"I just finished up some work, and was thinking about maybe asking your mom and dad if they wanted to join me for lunch."

"Do you wanna get some sammiches?" Jackson asked.

Conrad laughed softly. "Maybe so." He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I might have something for you."

"For me?"

Rummaging through a drawer in his desk, Conrad pulled out some blank pieces of paper and a small box of crayons. Smiling at the sweet little boy, he handed the items to Jackson. "Think you could use this?"

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! Thank you, Papa Eckie!"

Conrad laughed as Jackson took the paper and crayons and immediately began coloring. Even though Morgan wasn't the little boy's biological mother, he still saw her in the way Jackson got excited about everything and loved to learn.

As Jackson colored, he sang a little tune to himself. Conrad had to smile at the little boy who looked and acted just like his father, Greg Sanders. Ten years ago, if you had told Conrad Ecklie that the goofy lab tech who played music in the lab and wore crazy shirts and hair would be a gifted, capable CSI and a loving dad, he wouldn't have believed it. But Conrad saw how Greg had grown up, and that Greg was a great father.

"You know what, Jackson?"

"What, Papa Eckie?" Jackson asked without looking up.

"You remind me so much of your dad right now."

Jackson looked up and smiled slightly. "I do?"

"Yeah," Conrad said with a nod and a smile. "When I first started working with your dad, he was working in the lab. And some days, he'd have music playing and would be singing to himself, just like you like to do."

"Jus' like me?" Jackson asked as a smile found its way to his face.

"Just like you. And he was always very smart...that's just like you, too."

Jackson had the biggest smile Conrad had ever seen on any child. "Cool!" Jackson said. "My daddy is a good scientist."

"Yes, he is." While he resented and was jealous of Grissom's team working as a family, Conrad had to admit they were good scientists. With everything that had happened to the team since he'd been promoted to lab director, then undersheriff and now sheriff, Conrad had grown in his respect for everyone on the grave shift team. That respect had become more profound now that Morgan was part of the team.

Jackson thought for a moment. "Papa Eckie, was my mama a good scientist too?"

Conrad smiled. "She was and she and your dad still are," he said with certainty.

Looking at his adopted grandfather, Jackson pouted slightly and thought for a moment. "Papa Eckie, my daddy say you were a scientist wif him."

"That's right," Conrad said with a nod.

"Did you help my daddy an' mama be good scientists?"

Conrad smiled softly. "Well, I met your daddy for the first time when he was already a grown up, and he was always wanting to learn and do the best job he could. And your mama...I guess you could say I helped her." Conrad smiled at the curious boy. "She always wanted to know more about what I did at the lab, and all about science. When she was about your size...if I had to work late she'd come by my office at the lab and we'd eat dinner and talk about what she'd done at school."

"Did she like science too?"

"Yeah, she did..." Conrad smiled, thinking about how his daughter always loved science. "She and your dad were always very smart scientists."

"Cool!" Jackson said with a big smile. He colored a bit more and Conrad watched the happy child color. Jackson looked up at his adopted grandfather. "Papa Eckie, did you an' mama eber go on bug hunts?"

Conrad had to smile at the little boy some of their extended family had nicknamed 'Grissom Junior'. "No, we never did. That's something you and your daddy like to do."

"Yeah,"Jackson said with a smile. "Me an' daddy were in our backyard, an' we saw a bee!"

"Woah! Did it sting you?"

Jackson shook his head. "Nope. My daddy say to leave it alone, so I did. An' it flew on da flower bush by our window. Did you know dat dey help flowers?"

"I did know that. And I'm glad it didn't sting you."

"Yeah. My daddy say to leave it alone, so I did an' it didn't bother me. My daddy is smart like dat."

Conrad smiled and laughed softly, thinking of how Greg had really grown up. "Yes, he is."

Just then, Greg appeared in the doorway. He sighed softly and smiled when he saw Jackson talking with Ecklie. "Jacks, you bothering your Papa Eckie?"

Jackson giggled. "Nope!"

"Really, it's no bother," Conrad assured him. "I'd just finished some paperwork when he came in. You have a very smart son."

Greg smiled in surprise at Ecklie's compliment. "Well...thank you." He knelt next to his son. "You ready for lunch?"

Jackson nodded. "Yeah, I think Papa Eckie needs to come wif us."

Greg and Conrad both smiled. "Did you ask if he wants to come?" Greg asked Jackson.

Jackson looked up at his grandfather. "You wanna come have lunch wif us, please?"

Conrad had to smile. "How could I refuse an offer like that?"

Jackson smiled and gave Conrad the paper he'd been coloring. "Dat's me an' you having sammiches at da restaurant where da tables are outside."

Conrad smiled as he looked at the colorful drawing. "This is wonderful, Jackson. Really, thank you."

"You welcome," Jackson said with a smile. Looking at his father, Jackson said, "Daddy, Papa Eckie say you a good scientist."

Conrad and Greg shared a smile. "Well, thank you," Greg said. "I think he helped your mama become a good scientist, too."

"Yeah!" Jackson said. "An' mama liked to have lunch wif her daddy, jus' like I like to have lunch wif you!"

"I like to have lunch with you, too." Greg kissed his son's forehead.

Conrad couldn't help but smile at Greg and Jackson. He had grown to respect Greg as the younger man grew as a CSI. And since Morgan had returned to Vegas, he knew he'd received a gift in having a new relationship with her.

"An' guess what?" Jackson asked his father. "Papa Eckie say dat I just like you!"

Greg smiled at his son. "Wow! So you're handsome, cool and brilliant?"

"Yep!" Jackson said with a laugh.

Morgan appeared in the doorway and had to smile when she saw her dad chatting happily with her husband and son.

"You guys ready for lunch?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah!" Greg and Jackson said in unison.

Conrad smiled as he joined his daughter's family. He knew he was fortunate to have another chance to be a dad, and he was proud of both Morgan and Greg.

Jackson took Conrad's hand. "Do you wanna sit by me at da restaurant?"

"I'd like that," Conrad said.

**The End.**


End file.
